EDITOR’S NOTE: An aggregation of this week’s big and little news from across the country, state and locally.
Nation/World
‘This is not a game’: Global virus death toll hits 2 million
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The global death toll from COVID-19 topped 2 million Friday, crossing the threshold amid a vaccine rollout so immense but so uneven that in some countries there is real hope of vanquishing the outbreak, while in other, less-developed parts of the world, it seems a far-off dream.
Governors complain over pace of COVID-19 vaccine shipments
Governors bitterly accused the Trump administration Friday of deceiving the states about the amount of COVID-19 vaccine they can expect to receive as they ramp up vaccinations for senior citizens and others. But the government attributed the anger to confusion and misguided expectations on the part of the states.
Dorothy Schmidt Cole, oldest living Marine, dies at 107
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (AP) — Dorothy Schmidt Cole, recognized last year as the oldest living U.S. Marine, has died at age 107.
Far-right groups move online conversations from social media to chat apps — and out of view of law enforcement
Right-wing groups on chat apps like Telegram are swelling with new members after Parler disappeared and a backlash against Facebook and Twitter, making it harder for law enforcement to track where the next attack could come from.
State
‘He was just trying to find a way’: Friends fondly remember homeless man killed in Harrisburg shooting
Billy Grier, 50, was homeless and struggling with an untreated mental illness.
He ran into an old friend on Christmas and said he finally got set up with a social worker who was going to help him get treatment for his condition.
Pa. plans mass clinics, other steps to speed up pace of COVID-19 vaccinations
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine spoke with PennLive Thursday about the effort to vaccinate state residents against COVID-19 and said, “We want to do more and we want to do better.”
Pa. GOP lawmakers want voters to give them the power to end governor’s emergency orders
HARRISBURG — Republicans in the Pennsylvania House are advancing a measure that would give the legislature more power over the executive branch, the result of long-festering resentment against Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf over his actions to control the coronavirus pandemic.
Pa. State Police resume tracking racial data during traffic stops in response to Spotlight PA report
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania State Police announced Tuesday that it had resumed collecting racial data during traffic stops, nine years after the department quietly ended the practice and in direct response to a previous investigative report by Spotlight PA.
Local
UPMC Susquehanna to get its own police department, could help free up Williamsport police
UPMC Susquehanna’s new police department is a valuable addition to the city, according to Williamsport Bureau of Police Chief Damon Hagan.
After a month, are COVID-19 vaccine doubts dwindling?
One of the largest vaccine rollouts in history and apprehension toward the vaccine’s record-breaking development timeline mean that distribution in Lycoming County, and across the country, has been off to a slow start.
Williamsport mother accused of killing baby, stabbing child’s father; apprehended after car chase
Williamsport, Pa. – On January 14, 2021, at approximately 9:36 p.m., Williamsport Bureau of Police Officers were dispatched to 1014 Franklin St. in reference to a stabbing victim.
Three health systems unite with FCFP for new public health campaign
Williamsport, Pa. – Evangelical Community Hospital, Geisinger, and UPMC have agreed to join forces with the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP) to launch a public health campaign aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. The messages of the campaign are not new, but FCFP is attempting a new approach by bringing the region’s healthcare organizations together to speak to area residents with a single voice.
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